5 Times The Simpsons Predicted the Future and Nailed It

Matt Groening's show about a seemingly ordinary American family finding themselves in unusual situations has been a staple on network television for over three decades, delighting fans with its quirky plots, hilarious characters, and... predictions of the future?

Indeed, The Simpsons has become quite famous for accurately anticipating some of life's events decades before they actually happened.

Here are five accurate predictions from the Simpsons:

• COVID-19 Pandemic (Season 4 Episode 21)

In that episode, all of Springfield succumbs to the so-called Osaka Flu after a shipment from Japan arrives in town. Although The Simpsons didn't correctly predict the country COVID-19 spread from, a lot of the other details were spot on, including doctors recommending bed rest instead of proper treatment and massive protests. It's no wonder many people concluded the episode correctly anticipated the coronavirus pandemic.

• Trump's Presidency (Season 11 Episode 17)

Everyone knows that The Simpsons predicted Trump becoming president as far back as the 1990s, but not everyone is aware that the show also predicted some of the smaller details of his presidency, including the fact that many of the FOX executives joined his office and Trump's determination to use asbestos as a fireproofing material.

• Disney buys 20th Century Fox (Season 10, Episode 5)

One of The Simpsons' most mind-bogglingly specific predictions was the massive merger between Hollywood's biggest movie studios. The way it appears in the show is fairly subtle: we get to see a 20th Century Fox poster with a Walt Disney logo underneath

• Lady Gaga's Superbowl Show (Season 23 Episode 22)

In this episode, Lady Gaga visits Springfield and puts on a spectacular show for the entire town, floating in the air while performing her hits. Surprisingly, in 2017, Lady Gaga performed during the Super Bowl halftime show, and she floated in the air at one point during that performance. Perhaps the singer's producers decided to take inspiration from The Simpsons?

• Smart Watches (Season 6 Episode 19)

It seems that The Simpsons can also predict technological advances, as the show managed to anticipate the current trend of smartwatches back in the 1990s. Although the model shown on the show is much bulkier than today's sleek devices, the concept is fundamentally the same.

Of course, even a broken clock is right twice a day, but the creators of The Simpsons must be working some sort of magic to keep coming up with such accurate predictions of the future.